Postmasters General of Canada, 1851-1929 Credit: Agnes Macdonald, Baroness Macdonald of Earnscliffe Collection. / Library and Archives Canada / PA-066694

The Postmaster General of Canada was the Canadian cabinet minister responsible for the Post Office Department (Canada Post). In 1851, management of the post office was transferred from Britain (Royal Mail) to the provincial governments of the Province of Canada, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The position of Postmaster General was established in each province. With Canadian Confederation in 1867, a single position was created replacing this post in all of the above provinces except Newfoundland. this position was abolished in 1981 when the post office was transformed from a government department into a crown corporation. Since 1981 Canada Post has been led by a President and CEO. From 1900 until 1909 the Postmaster General was also responsible for the Department of Labour. It now reports to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement.

Canada Post Corporation has had its own CEO and President since 1981, who has most of the administrative responsibilities previously exercised by the Postmaster General. With the abolition of the position of Postmaster General the legislative and certain other duties previously exercised by the Postmaster General were transferred to the new position of Minister responsible for Canada Post Corporation.

List of postmasters general

Key:

No.PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyMinistry
1Alexander CampbellJuly 1, 1867June 30, 1873Conservative1 (Macdonald)
2John O'ConnorJuly 1, 1873November 5, 1873Conservative
3Donald Alexander MacdonaldNovember 7, 1873May 17, 1875Liberal2 (Mackenzie)
4Télesphore FournierMay 19, 1875October 7, 1875Liberal
5Lucius Seth HuntingtonOctober 9, 1875October 8, 1878Liberal
6Hector-Louis LangevinOctober 19, 1878May 19, 1879Conservative3 (Macdonald)
(1)Alexander CampbellMay 20, 1879January 15, 1880Conservative
(2)John O'ConnorJanuary 16, 1880November 7, 1880Conservative
(1)Alexander CampbellNovember 8, 1880May 18, 1881Conservative
(2)John O'ConnorMay 20, 1881May 22, 1882Conservative
7John CarlingMay 23, 1882September 24, 1885Liberal-Conservative
(1)Alexander CampbellSeptember 25, 1885January 26, 1887Conservative
8Archibald McLelanJanuary 27, 1887July 9, 1888Conservative
John Carling (Acting)July 11, 1888August 5, 1888Liberal-Conservative
9John Graham HaggartAugust 6, 1888June 6, 1891Conservative
June 16, 1891January 24, 18924 (Abbott)
10Adolphe-Philippe CaronJanuary 25, 1892November 24, 1892Conservative
December 5, 1892December 12, 18945 (Thompson)
December 21, 1894April 27, 18966 (Bowell)
11Louis-Olivier TaillonMay 1, 1896July 8, 1896Conservative7 (Tupper)
12William MulockJuly 13, 1896October 15, 1905Liberal8 (Laurier)
13Allen Bristol AylesworthOctober 16, 1905June 3, 1906Liberal
14Rodolphe LemieuxJune 4, 1906August 10, 1911Liberal
15Henri Sévérin BélandAugust 19, 1911October 6, 1911Liberal
16Louis-Philippe PelletierOctober 10, 1911October 19, 1914Conservative9 (Borden)
17Thomas Chase-CasgrainOctober 20, 1914December 29, 1916Conservative
18Pierre-Édouard BlondinJanuary 8, 1917October 12, 1917Conservative
October 12, 1917July 10, 192010 (Borden)
July 10, 1920September 20, 192111 (Meighen)
19Louis de Gonzague BelleySeptember 21, 1921December 28, 1921Conservative
20Charles MurphyDecember 29, 1921June 28, 1926Liberal12 (King)
21Robert James ManionJune 29, 1926September 24, 1926Conservative13 (Meighen)
22Peter John VeniotSeptember 25, 1926August 6, 1930Liberal14 (King)
23Arthur SauvéAugust 7, 1930August 13, 1935Conservative15 (Bennett)
24Samuel GobeilAugust 16, 1935October 22, 1935Conservative
25John Campbell ElliottOctober 23, 1935January 22, 1939Liberal16 (King)
26Norman Alexander McLartyJanuary 23, 1939September 18, 1939Liberal
27Charles Gavan PowerSeptember 19, 1939May 22, 1940Liberal
James Lorimer Ilsley (Acting)May 23, 1940July 7, 1940Liberal
28William Pate MulockJuly 8, 1940June 8, 1945Liberal
29Ernest BertrandAugust 29, 1945November 14, 1948Liberal
November 15, 1948August 23, 194917 (St. Laurent)
30Édouard RinfretAugust 25, 1949February 12, 1952Liberal
31Alcide CôtéFebruary 13, 1952August 7, 1955Liberal
Roch Pinard (Acting)August 16, 1955November 2, 1955Liberal
32Hugues LapointeNovember 3, 1955June 20, 1957Liberal
33William McLean HamiltonJune 21, 1957July 12, 1962Progressive Conservative18 (Diefenbaker)
Angus MacLean (Acting)July 18, 1962August 8, 1962Progressive Conservative
34Ellen FaircloughAugust 9, 1962April 21, 1963Progressive Conservative
35Azellus DenisApril 22, 1963February 2, 1964Liberal19 (Pearson)
36John Robert NicholsonFebruary 3, 1964February 14, 1965Liberal
37René TremblayFebruary 15, 1965December 17, 1965Liberal
38Jean-Pierre CôtéDecember 18, 1965April 19, 1968Liberal
April 20, 1968July 5, 196820 (Trudeau)
39Eric KieransJuly 6, 1968April 28, 1971Liberal
(38)Jean-Pierre CôtéApril 29, 1971November 26, 1972Liberal
40André OuelletNovember 27, 1972August 7, 1974Liberal
41Bryce MackaseyAugust 8, 1974September 13, 1976Liberal
42Jean-Jacques BlaisSeptember 14, 1976February 1, 1978Liberal
43Gilles LamontagneFebruary 2, 1978June 3, 1979Liberal
44John Allen FraserJune 4, 1979March 2, 1980Progressive Conservative21 (Clark)
(40)André OuelletMarch 3, 1980October 15, 1981Liberal20 (Trudeau)

See also

External links